A Good Man
by everlovingdeer
Summary: Everyone said that a good man was hard to find and that no matter how hard you wished for one, he might never appear. And yet, I had managed to stumble upon one without wanting to. (Theseus Scamander)
1. A Good Man

Very rarely was a student called into the headmaster's office and on the scarce occasions where they _were_ called in, it usually signified some sort of disciplinary action. And so, when one of the prefects had walked into the common room to announce that the headmaster was expecting me, I instantly began to wrack my mind. What could I possibly have done to warrant disciplinary action? Helga, I'd never even gotten a detention!

But still, I'd risen hesitantly to my feet and dismissed the questions that my friends called out from behind me. If I happened to drag my steps, could anyone have blamed me? Especially when I knew how strict Headmaster Black could be? Reaching the entrance to the headmaster's office, I clutched my robes at my sides for only a moment before releasing a sharp breath. Whatever it was, it would all be some sort of misunderstanding.

Announcing the password to the gargoyle, I waited for the stairs to reveal themselves before beginning my ascent. The stairs led out into the headmaster's office and I gathered all of the little courage I had and walked towards the desk, only for my eyes to settled onto the girl seated on the chair across from the unoccupied Headmaster's seat. Suddenly, things were making much more sense; while there was no chance of my getting into trouble, _she_ was another matter altogether.

My sister, Beatrice, had yet to even complete her first year at school and yet she seemed to constantly be getting into trouble. And Merlin, I hadn't expected to be dragged all the way to the headmaster's office to sort out her mess.

"What did you do now?" I asked, walking straight towards her.

" _Nothing_ ," she protested, throwing her hands up defensively. "I have no idea why I was called into here. But _they_ were here waiting for me."

Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked towards the _they_ that she was referring to. And there, besides the fireplace stood Theseus Scamander with my youngest sister in his arms. Lucille, who had just turned 3, was settled in his embrace with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Theseus was deep in conversation with the headmaster who was far graver than I had ever seen him. A feat I hadn't really believed possible.

There was something wrong, I realised as I reached out to grasp Beatrice's chair as if to steady myself. Headmaster Black's voice trailed off when he noticed my presence and only then did Theseus look towards me. But when he did, he couldn't seem to meet my eyes. Why couldn't he meet my eyes?

Shifting my eyes anxiously towards the eldest man in the room, I struggled to understand what was happening. For his part, the Headmaster was already walking away from the fireplace and towards the exit.

"I believe it would be best for me to leave you alone," he declared as he left the room but I was not watching him. Instead, my eyes were focused on the Auror who had finally looked towards me and his gaze was so heavy that I struggled to breathe under it.

Lucille fidgeted in Theseus's arms and he bent down to release her. She instantly ran towards me and headed straight into my outstretched arms. Wrapping my arms around her, I held her close and went to breathe in her calming scent. Her hair smelt of smoke –

My mouth parted and I clutched her even closer, trying to hide my quivering grip. Lowering Lucille to the floor again, I told her to take a seat beside Beatrice before finally approaching Theseus. He stood rigidly, hands clutched behind his back.

"What is going on?" I asked quietly, turning towards him so that my sisters heard nothing. "Tell me the truth Theseus – without attempting to hide anything from me."

"It will be painful," he warned, holding my gaze as if to stress how foolish my request was.

" _Please_."

"You remember how your father was working on a formula for gold?" he started gravely and I felt my throat clog. My father was an alchemist and everyone knew that finding the formula for gold was something that, like most alchemists, he was constantly striving towards. He had made a breakthrough at the beginning of the year and now, it seemed that he'd had to pay the price. "Your home was broken into for the formula – and when your father refused to give up the recipe –"

"No more," I pleaded, nothing more than a whisper.

"The Aurors arrived in time to save Lucille only."

"Merlin's beard," I murmured as I felt my legs give way as I thought over the implications for what he was telling me. Theseus stepped forward instantly to steady me, clutching my arms to force me upright. Staring up into his face with beseeching eyes, I asked, "What am I supposed to do now? What is going to happen to my sisters? Beatrice has only begun Hogwarts and she can stay here during the school term but what will happen during the holiday? And Helga, what about Lucille? She has only turned 3, Theseus."

Even as I spoke, I heard myself getting more and more anxious as I went on. It was inevitable that I was going to be pulled away from my sisters, from the only family I had left. Was there really any way of keeping them with me? Helga, I had never felt so hopeless in all my life.

"Lucille is staying with my parents for now," Theseus assured me, "I asked them even before coming here."

"I have no idea how I am going to thank them," I murmured slowly.

"You don't need to thank them," he assured me and as he continued to watch me, his eyes gentled. And Helga, I knew why he was looking at me that way; my eyes were rapidly filling with tears. Blinking them away, I let out a shuddering breath when Theseus took a hold of my arms as if to anchor me to the present. "You are allowed to mourn, Ellison. It is your right."

"I can't," I insisted, shaking my head. Glancing away from him, I looked towards my sisters as they sat side by side; whether or not it was my right to mourn, I _could not_ mourn. Right now, I had people depending on me, people I needed to be strong for and I could not afford to stumble. Not when it came to them.

* * *

Beatrice and I had received special permission from the Headmaster to allow us to get off campus for our parent's funeral. Because I had been stuck in the castle and was as a result, unable to make any arrangements, Theseus had made all the funeral preparations in my stead and once again, I found myself further in his debt. I had only ever seemed to be receiving things from him; he'd saved Lucille, he and Newt were looking after her when she was staying with his parents and he had done what I was supposed to do by ensuring my parents were sent off well.

From the moment we had both found out, Beatrice had been inconsolable and she'd had taken up residence in my dorm room so she could cling to me whenever she needed the comfort. Every night I silently held her as she cried herself to sleep, not yet allowing myself to cry because I needed to remain strong. Even as we prepared to leave, Beatrice had refused to leave my side and though I didn't want to contemplate it, I couldn't help but wonder how she would cope if we were forced to part ways.

Theseus was there in the Headmaster's office to escort us to his parent's house and once we had arrived at the Scamander family home, Mrs Scamander was there to tend to all of our needs. Beatrice had very reluctantly left my side as she was shown to the room where she would be spending the next few days. As I waited in the hallway, I managed to smile weakly at Newt who was one of my closest friends before his expulsion. From his eyes alone, I knew he wanted to know whether I was alright, but because I could not give him the real answer, I simply smiled weakly before walking to the room I was supposed to be staying in.

The funeral was this afternoon and for the rest of weekend, I had to sort everything out with the ministry. And truthfully, I was dreading even the thought of it. Although I knew I should have been getting ready for the funeral, I found myself moving sluggishly as I dressed and settled down on the edge of the mattress. Dropping my head into my hands, I only lifted it at the knock on the door.

"Come in."

Theseus appeared in the doorway then, with Lucille clinging to him in a way that, according to Newt, she did whenever he was at his parent's home. And just like that, at the sight of Lucille, I was on my feet and walking towards Theseus with my arms open. He shifted Lucille into my arms and I struggled a little to hold her before tightening my arms around her.

"When do we need to go?" I asked Theseus, meeting his waiting eyes.

"Now," he admitted. "My parents and Newt have taken Beatrice already. If you are still not prepared then we can stay here a moment longer."

"No, no." Shaking my head, I forced myself to smile when Lucille pushed the corner of my mouth upwards. Did she have any idea that our lives had been thrown upside down? Did she miss our parents? "We should lay them to rest."

Looking to Theseus with a small smile, I stepped closer to him to allow him to wrap an arm around my waist so he could apparate us away. We arrived within seconds and the moment we got to the funeral home, I found myself swarmed with well-meaning guests who at first expressed their condolences, and then proceeded to ask about custody of my sisters. Quickly I got overwhelmed and Theseus, likely knowing this, took a hold of my elbow to escort me through the crowd.

Everything happened around me, without my paying any attention and I was grateful that Theseus was seeing to it all without having to be told to. And as the coffins were lowered, I forced myself to watch on, even as Beatrice clung to one side and Lucille fisted my robes in her hands, choosing to hide behind me. My sisters sobbed – Lucille following Beatrice's lead – and even as my throat clogged, I waited until the coffins were fully covered before turning away. Clasping Beatrice and Lucille's hands, I marched them right over towards Newt.

"Would you look after them for me?" I asked, praying that he did not notice the tremor in my voice.

He nodded, looking a little overwhelmed but consenting as I handed my sister's off to him. When I was certain that they would be fine, I turned quickly and slipped away from the crowd to get some privacy. Hiding myself under the shade of a tree, I wrapped my arms around myself as Theseus ducked under a low branch to come to my side. I tried to turn away from him but he put a hand on my shoulder, halting me. The contact was enough to make a kink in the armour I was shielding behind and I let out a shuddering breath.

Turning into him, I admitted quietly, "I have no idea what to do. How am I supposed to look after them? Helga, what is going to happen to them?"

Theseus, realising that my anxiety was skyrocketing, that I wasn't even breathing between my sentences, reached out to take my face in his hands. Tilting my face towards his, he shushed me, trying to get me to calm.

But I could not. Shaking my head quickly, I reached out to fist his shirt in my hands as I pleaded, "Help me, Theseus. Just please, _please_ help me because I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. What can I possibly –"

"Of course, I will help you," he assured me earnestly, holding my gaze to show me just how honest he was being. "We will get through all of this together, I swear."

I took in a shuddering breath, squeezing my eyes shut. Unwillingly my tears slipped out and I could feel myself growing hysteric even as Theseus continued to try to calm me down. "I don't know what to do! What am I supposed to do?"

He called my name quietly –

But I continued to talk over him, outright sobbing violently now as I spoke, "Merlin, I can't lose them. But that is what will happen. How could there be anything else? How can I stop that when –"

He called my name again, sharply with enough force to silence me in one go. I bit my bottom lip, looking up into his face and only then did I notice just how _affected_ he was by seeing how broken I had become in such a small amount of time. With a gentle touch, Theseus brushed away my tears with his thumbs.

"I _swear_ to you, I will sort this all out." Theseus held my eyes, voice grave. "Worry about nothing now."

I nodded hesitantly, blowing out a deep breath to try and calm myself. Theseus moved to embrace me then and although I knew that I should have pushed him away, I returned it. I let myself take comfort in someone for the first time in a week and was thankful for the silent strength of the man who brushed a soothing hand over my hair. If anyone sought us out, they would no doubt get the wrong impression but I could not bring myself to care. For the first time since my parents had passed, I was the one being comforted and I was not ready to give that up just yet.

* * *

I was given less than 24 hours respite. Not even 12 hours after laying my parents to rest for the final time, I had received an owl from the ministry announcing that a Ministry official would be arriving to sort out the matter of my sisters. Helga, I knew that the Scamander's had been granted temporary custody over Lucille but I had hoped that temporary meant something closer to a month than it did a week. I still had no idea what I would do about my sisters. But there would be no prolonging the matter.

Especially when the very next day Mrs Scamander found herself forced to welcome the Ministry official – a potbellied middle-aged man – into her home. Beatrice had eyed the man suspiciously and I was forced to take matters into the room I was staying in. There was no need for her to worry about things until I had everything sorted out. Once I had closed the door behind me, the man started to tell me what the ministry planned to do with my sisters.

Perching on the edge of the bed, I listened in horrified silence as Mr Padsworth announced that the ministry would be taking custody of Lucille effective immediately. And then, when the school holidays arrived, Beatrice would be taken away too and as I was an adult, in the eyes of the ministry, I would be given the option of returning to my family home – or to what was left of it. Clasping my hands in my lap, I stared down at my knuckles which had turned white from the force of my grip. Padsworth had the audacity to ask if that suited me.

Any person with a heart, with a sibling, would know that such a plan could _never_ have suited me! But what other option did I have? It wasn't as if I could ask the Scamander's to petition for custody of my siblings; even if they were the closest things we had to an extended family. But there was no guarantee they would be granted it and Merlin, I couldn't ask that of them.

There was always the chance that, once I turned 18, I would be able to get my siblings back from wherever they were staying. Except, the old-fashioned laws made it so very hard for single women to achieve custody of _one_ child, let alone two. They would demand I produce document showing that I was earning enough to support a family of three and that was near impossible to do for a newly graduated student – especially because of how long it would take to sort of the family estate. There really was nothing to do.

The hopelessness welled up inside of me, clogging my throat and rendering me unable to breath as Padsworth pushed the papers towards me. He expected me to sign away my rights as my sister's next of kin but I shook my head adamantly. There was no way I was signing that! Padsworth sighed in annoyance and tried to make me think rationally, and less like an 'overemotional woman'.

I just glared at him, summoning all of my hatred and it was enough to have him averting his eyes with a grumble. Only that certainly didn't stop him from pushing the form towards me again. Eyeing the parchment, I contemplated ripping it up just as the door was thrown open. It slammed against the door so loudly that I jumped in my seat.

Padsworth and I turned towards the door, and just the sight of Theseus standing there in his intimidating entirety, had my spine straightening out. He had eyes only for the ministry worker who paled when he found himself facing the raw power coming off of the renowned Auror. Helga, just the sight of him and I felt better already. Theseus was here and now, everything would be fine.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here, Padsworth?" he demanded as he stepped into the room. Theseus's eyes focused on the parchment that was still outstretched towards me and he snatched it away. He read it once and then looked at me from over the top of it. I found myself holding his gaze for a long moment, trying to portray just how desperate I felt and he nodded a single time, resolute. Scrunching the paper up, he decided that it wasn't enough and cast it on fire with a quick _incendio_.

"Mr Scamander," Padsworth tried to protest, drawing closer to Theseus.

"You are _not_ separating them from the only family they have left!" He pressed his wand to the centre of his chest and forced him a few steps back. "Do I make myself clear?"

"I have my hands tied!" the older man insisted and Theseus, not impressed, clenched his jaw tightly. Realising this, he hurriedly added, "There aren't many options!"

"And what exactly were you planning on doing with the younger two?" Padsworth shuffled on his feet at the question as he found himself receiving the full brunt of Theseus's glare. He murmured something under his breath that I could not hear. Whatever he had said made Theseus so angry in a way that I had never seen before. His face flushed an angry scarlet and he reached out instantly, tossing his wand onto the bed beside me so he could grab Padsworth by the collar. He shook him roughly as he thundered, "An orphanage! You plan to separate them from their sister and put them in an _orphanage_! How bloody dare you?"

Even as the outrage thundered through me, I rose quickly to my feet to stop Theseus. If he assaulted Padsworth, the situation would spiral out of control. I put my hands on Theseus's arms and held his eyes when he turned towards me.

"Please?" I asked quietly, "If you do this, I might lose them."

He held my eyes for a tense moment. I almost thought he would shrug my hands away and risk it all. But, mere seconds passed before he sighed and reluctantly released his hand. Content that he had managed to calm himself, I returned to my space on the bed. Padsworth eyed Theseus with more than a little fear, even as he straightened out his robes.

As if he had a death wish, Padsworth added hesitantly, "An orphanage appears to be the most feasible option."

Theseus silenced him quickly with a heavy glare. His hands flexed at his side as if he was contemplating grabbing him again. But he restrained himself. "What about me?"

His question was so sudden that Padsworth took a moment to stare at him. I understood it all the same, eyes widening. "Theseus –"

"What if they were to stay with me?" he asked of Padsworth. "Would that be suitable?" When Padsworth managed to conceal his shock and nodded, Theseus turned towards me. "If it were me, would you agree?"

I had no need to even consider it; being beside Theseus's side would be one of the safest places for my sisters. If the stories of his feats that he'd managed to achieve in his short career were even a little true, then there really was nowhere safer.

"Yes," I said before I could regret it.

Theseus nodded once before turning towards Padsworth and demanding that he drew the correct papers up and only then should he return to the Scamander family home. Padsworth could not have left the room quicker; he edged around the fierce Auror and Theseus watched his retreat before letting out a deep breath.

I found myself watching him for a long moment before he turned his eyes onto me. Lowering my gaze to my lap, I didn't even look up when he settled down beside me. Helga, not even minutes ago I had shifted the responsibility of my family onto him. I had burdened him even further and I only ever seemed to be receiving from him.

"You have been crying."

I nodded, knowing that my red rimmed eyes would prove otherwise even if I had tried to lie. "I feel so very useless, Theseus. I cannot even protect the only family I have left."

"Because you are not yet 18," he tried to placate.

Shaking my head with a scoff, I turned my face towards his. "Even if I turn 18, I still will not be granted custody over them; the ministry will demand proof of finance because I am a woman. They will not accept our family's savings because that should legally be split between us. Merlin, why is the wizarding world so very old fashioned? If I were married I would be able to adopt them regardless of my finance. An unmarried woman will not be able to adopt them."

"I have to admit, I had not considered it that much." His eyes flickered between my own, lingering for a moment as if he were trying to tell me something.

"Because you are a man," I said eventually, averting my eyes when I failed to read his silent message. "You've had no reason to think of things that do not affect you. Perhaps it really is for the best if they stay with you, Theseus."

Theseus was silent for a long moment, refusing acknowledge my statement before admitting, "Everyone knows it would be best for them to stay with their sister."

"But that is impossible," I murmured with a frustrated sigh.

"Not if you marry."

"And just who would I marry?" I scoffed tiredly.

Again, he was silent for a long moment and I almost pointed out that even he had no answer for that. And perhaps I would have said it, had he not cleared his throat and spoke in the most hesitant voice I had ever heard him use, "Me."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Theseus had been granted custody within a matter of days. We'd both had to sit Beatrice down to explain to her what the situation was and although she did not quite understand why things had to be the way they were, she knew that it was better for us to stay together as a family. As for Lucille, she was sticking so close to Theseus that it was no surprise that she had no complaints about staying with him. My youngest sister was so close to her legal guardian that I couldn't help but wonder at their connection.

And on my last night at the Scamander home, I had found out from Newt that the reason she was so close to him was because Theseus had been the one to save her. Apparently, my mother had hidden my sister in her bedroom closet and sealed it with wards and Theseus had been the one to discover her as she cried, terrified in the dark.

Theseus, on his part, did not struggle as much as I believed he would have. He seemed to take to looking after a young girl with ease and I knew that because he was responsible for Lucille, he was refusing to take dangerous missions and whilst he had used to help fight the muggle war on the front line, he had to put that on stop for now. I had asked him whether he missed it or not, but he'd simply assured me that Lucille was far more important.

During the Hogsmeade weekends, Theseus would bring Lucille into the town and I would step away from my friends to spend a few hours with my younger sister. This weekend was no different. As Theseus refused to take Lucille anywhere near the Three Broomsticks, I waved goodbye to my dormmates and headed straight for the tea shop further in the town.

Slipping inside the quiet tea shop, I looked around the room and eventually found the pair seated in the corner of the room. Walking towards the table, I smiled at Theseus who returned the gesture before nudging Lucille and pointing in my direction. Just like that, she was up and out of her chair and running towards me. Crouching down where I stood, I opened my arms and she ran straight into them.

Holding Lucille close to me, I met Theseus's eyes as he remained seated. Eventually straightening up, I allowed Lucille to lead me towards the table she had done during every visit. Theseus was waiting with a tea pot and two empty mugs and gestured for me to take a seat. Lucille had somehow – with very little coaxing, I was sure – managed to persuade Theseus to get her a large hot chocolate.

For next hour or so, I found myself listening to everything Lucille said and couldn't help but watch as Lucille and Theseus interacted. Whenever she got too hyper, he was there with a restraining but gentle look that calmed her better than I had ever been able to. When she ended up spilling her hot chocolate over her dress, like I knew she would, he beat me to magicking the stain away and checking her over with concerned eyes. There was something very bittersweet about it all.

As Theseus rose to his feet and helped Lucille out of her chair, he noticed my gaze and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," I assured as I rose from my chair and prepared to head back to the castle. "I'm just so very grateful towards you. I have no idea how I can thank you."

"You don't need to," he assured me, taking Lucille's hand whilst I took the other. Together, the three of us walked slowly up towards the castle. "This isn't something you need to thank me for, Ellison."

Perhaps that was what he thought. But, even if he _had_ asked me to appease the debt I owed him, I would not know how to begin. Except Theseus was the sort of man who would never ask it of me anyway. As we continued to walk towards the castle, Lucille's legs eventually grew tired and Theseus had her in his arms before she could even ask.

Finally getting to the castle, we stopped by Ravenclaw Tower to pick up Beatrice. Although she tried to hide just how happy she was to see Lucille again, Theseus and I saw right through her pretence. Although, Lucille was another story as she frowned at her.

Together, the four of us, walked to the kitchens where Lucille was given yet _another_ hot chocolate and this time Beatrice had one too. As we sat around a table, I found myself watching Beatrice as she interacted with Lucille. Beatrice, although she tried to be reasonable about this entire situation, she could not do it. No matter how patient she tried to be, Beatrice was still mourning like we all were. Only she coped with her grief by picking on Lucille. Whereas Lucille, she had looked up to both of her sisters and took it so very hard when Beatrice was mean to her.

As if on cue, Lucille looked down at her cup as her bottom lip wobbled. No doubt she was seconds away from crying.

"Beatrice," I said warningly at the same moment as Theseus did. Our eyes met over the top of Lucille's head before I quickly looked away. Clearing my throat, I narrowed my eyes at Beatrice, "Apologise now."

"Sorry," she grumbled under her breath and it was enough to mean that I didn't push her anymore.

Lucille tugged on my sleeve, making me look down at her. She asked quietly, "When can we all be together?"

"Soon," I murmured uncertainly, not really sure of when that would happen.

Beatrice picked up on the uncertainty in my tone and just like that, she was irritated once again. She stood up abruptly and excused herself without another word. Lucille watched her storm away with eyes that were rapidly watering. With a sigh, I picked up a napkin and wiped at her eyes even as I continued to watch Bea storm away. When would things become the way they were before?

"I think we should go," Theseus admitted reluctantly and, the way it did every week, a wave of sorrow swept over me. Truthfully, these past few weeks, I had seen more of Lucille than I did during a normal school term. But it wasn't the same. Not when I knew why things were like this now.

Lucille held Theseus's hand as we walked out of the kitchen and towards the courtyard. My feet were heavy, as if weights had been applied to my ankles. There really was no guarantee that even after I turned 18 that I could always see them the way I wanted to. If in the middle of the night, I awakened and felt the overbearing need to make sure that my sisters were alright, I would not be able to do that. The solution was right there in front of me.

Before Theseus could walk out into the courtyard to leave, I caught his hand in my own. He stopped instantly, turning towards me curiously. And when I just stared down at his hand held between both of mine, he called my name quietly.

Swallowing nervously, I raised my eyes slowly towards his and asked quietly, "Would you please, _please_ marry me?"

He held my eyes for a long moment, as if wondering whether or not I meant it. Nodding minutely, I watched as he drew out a sharp breath. Extracting his hand from mine, he brought it up to frame my face. His large hand engulfed almost all of my cheek as his calloused thumb rubbed over it soothingly. My eyes continued to search his own, only fluttering shut for a moment as he pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to my forehead.

"I would be honoured," he assured me quietly, holding my eyes for a charged moment.

Everyone said that a good man was hard to find and that no matter how hard you wished for one, he might never appear. And yet, I had managed to stumble upon one without wanting to.

* * *

Preparing for my wedding, Helga – _my wedding –_ was nothing like I imagined it would be. Naturally, like most young girls I had fantasised about my special day but never had I thought that the reality would be so very different _._ Except, when I was younger I had at some point fantasised about Theseus actually being my groom only to have grown out of that particular delusion.

The preparations were mostly being handled by Theseus and his mother. When he had run the idea of a ceremony by me, I hadn't seen the point of it. Truthfully, I would much rather prefer to simply arrange a small ceremony in the Ministry with his parents as witnesses. Although Theseus seemed a little doubtful about whether or not I would be pleased with such a simple ceremony, he had relented after I'd suggested that when our lives were more settled we could have a more extravagant ceremony. Silently I had admitted that there was no need for such a ceremony where our guests would be standing witness to our love. There was no such thing to witness between the pair of us.

Every morning, I received a letter from Theseus and his owl, extremely recognisable with its sleek all black feathers, had garnered the interest of my friends. Of course, I had told them the truth, that he was now the legal guardian of my sisters, but I found it remarkably difficult to admit that by tomorrow morning, I would be a married woman.

Before I could hope to stop it, the letter was pulled out of my hands. Looking up in surprise at Hoyer, I watched as her eyes roved over the letter, widening dramatically. She read it over again, as if to make sure that she was seeing the right thing. Folding the letter back up, she handed it to me as she dropped into the seat beside me.

"You're getting married!" she hissed as I began to fiddle with my tea cup. "You're getting married tonight and you weren't going to tell us. Were you planning on slipping away tonight?"

"Truthfully," I started hesitantly, "yes."

"But you are marrying Theseus Scamander! You're so lucky; he's so handsome and a famous Auror and –"

"And he's doing this to ensure that I can gain custody of my sisters," I insisted, cutting her off.

Her mouth parted in shock as she demanded, "The two of you are binding yourselves together in fidelity – _until death do you part_ – for custody. There must be other routes. Surely?"

I simply shrugged, not really wanting to explain just how very few options I actually had. It seemed that apart from marrying, there was never a guarantee that I would gain custody of my siblings.

"Regardless," Hoyer said suddenly, piping up as she turned towards me, "by tomorrow morning you will be Mrs Scamander. And knowing you, you were planning on marrying in your school uniform. You do not expect me to sit back and allow that to happen, do you?."

By the time the evening arrived, I found myself allowing my dormmates to make me up until I looked as much like a bride as I could. More bridal and less school girl, as they said. They crowded around me and I let them do whatever they wanted to do to me. I was too busy trying to calm my nerves to protest to anything. Helga, I was so focused on trying not to run away from this at the last moment, that I spent all the time reminding myself just why I was doing this.

My sisters. This was all about my sisters.

Once I was deemed ready, and once one of the first years had announced that Theseus was waiting outside the common room, the majority of my dormmates had run out of the room. They planned on teasing him – claiming it was their right. I found myself left alone in the dorm, or rather that was what I thought. But then, hands took my shoulders and squeezed them gently. Lifting my eyes to the mirror, I met Celia's eyes through the mirror.

"What in Merlin's name am I doing?" I asked disbelieving.

"Doing right by your sisters," she reminded me. "The pair of you are doing this for your sisters but you must realise how he cares for you? He loves you, Ellison."

"I know," I said simply, meeting her eyes as I forced myself to my feet. I really _did_ know how he felt. Helga, I would have had to be blind not to notice the ways in which he was looking at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention to him. No doubt Theseus's feelings for me played a large role in his offering for my hand and here I was, taking advantage of that.

Together, with an arm though Celia's, I walked down into the common room and out towards the entrance where, sure enough, I found my dormmates in the corridor as they were busy teasing Theseus. On his part, Theseus took it all with a courteous smile, knowing that they just meant well. As I stepped out of the common room, Theseus's eyes shifted towards the entrance and he instantly headed towards me. He held out a hand towards me to help me over the threshold.

I slipped my hand into his, ignoring the teasing words my friends threw our way. For some reason, I found myself unable to meet his eyes as I came to his side.

"You look beautiful," he assured me and just like that, I was able to raise my eyes towards his with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Theseus." I tried to convey just how I was thankful for so much more than his compliment.

And without another word, without letting my friends say anything else to either of us, he lead me through the castle towards the headmaster's office where we would be floo'ing into the Ministry.

Upon arriving at the Ministry, I had to smile patiently when I found myself enveloped in his mother's arms. Theseus stepped away from me long enough to allow me to return his mother's embrace as she spoke soothingly into my ears about becoming the next Mrs Scamander. It was a little jarring, to admit to myself that I _was_ becoming the next Mrs Scamander, that tomorrow morning I would be _married_ to Theseus. Helga, I had done a lot of selfish things in my life, I had demanded much from Theseus which he had always given to me without complaint. But no doubt this was the worst thing; I was depriving him of the chance of marrying a woman who would love him back, of beginning a family with such a woman. I really was the worst kind of woman for him; a good man deserved to be with a good woman. And Merlin, I was anything but.

The ceremony itself was simple and quick with the vows recited and our magic bound to one another. I was rather grateful for the rapid ceremony because it helped to understate how monumental all of this was, how utterly lifechanging what we were doing was. If the ceremony _had_ dragged on for longer, then perhaps I would have found myself panicking and growing anxious the longer it progressed. But, when the ceremony ended, and Theseus led me out of the room with a hand to the small of my back, I did not feel any of those things. Instead, I felt relieved and more than a little wonderstruck that I was married to Theseus, to the fantasy prince from my childhood.

After registering our marriage, Theseus surprised me by pulling papers out of his pocket that officially passed custody of my sisters back to me, declaring me as their rightful guardian. He had taken one look at the blatant surprise on my features and chuckled slightly as he remarked that it was his wedding gift to me.

Once we had sorted everything out, I gave a final goodbye to his parents, before getting back to the castle. Theseus walked me slowly back to the common room, saying nothing and I almost wanted to ask him if he was regretting his decision. But I didn't ask him that, a little afraid of what his answer might be. Instead, I took some strength from the constant soothing presence of his hand on my waist as he ushered me through the hallway.

Coming to a stop beside the barrels, I turned expectantly towards Theseus. He hovered uncertainly beside me and in that very moment, from the lingering gaze on my lips, I knew just what it was that he wanted from me. Fiddling with my fingers, I stared down at the simple gold band on my ring finger and lifted my gaze to meet his. I was his _wife_.

"Theseus," I prompted and when he looked at me, I nodded once.

He stepped towards me then, his hands coming up to my face to lift my head towards his. When he kissed me, it was tentative and soft, as if he was still uncertain. But when I returned slowly, he grew less hesitant and instead became reluctant to pull away, drawing it out even longer.

"You really did look beautiful tonight," he assured me once he had eventually pulled away from me.

And this time, I stepped towards him and kissed him. His surprise was obvious but that did nothing to stop him from lowering his head so I could reach him better. My kiss was much shorter than his own and when I drew away, I peered shyly up at him from beneath my eyelashes.

"Thank you Thee, for everything."

* * *

After only a few short weeks of being a married woman, I was facing the inevitability of leaving Hogwarts. Although I felt a little guilty about it, I knew that I used Hogwarts as a reason for keeping so far away from my husband. School was providing me with all the reason I needed not stick to Theseus's side as any normal newly wedded bride would have done. But now, as I found myself graduating, I had to face the reality that after today I would be really beginning my life with Theseus in the truest sense. My things had already been sent ahead to Theseus and I found myself waiting with more than a little trepidation than a usual bride would have.

My friends and I were stood in the great hall, talking for what would be our final time as students. In nothing more than a few hours we would be facing the real world and none of us had _any_ idea how we were going to cope with things. I had been subjected to more teasing in the last few weeks than I had in the entirety of the rest of my time at Hogwarts; everyone was claiming that I had nothing to worry about. My future was sorted as far as they were concerned. I just smiled at the usual teasing when suddenly there were arms wrapped around my legs.

Looking down, I gasped slightly when I realised that it was Lucille. Dropping down towards her, I pushed her hair out of her face and smiled when she giggled.

"How did you get here?" I asked, drawing her into my arms for a brief embrace. When I drew back and straightened up, Lucille found herself under the warm eyes of all my friends. She ducked bashfully to hide behind my legs. "Luce?"

She just tugged at my robes before pointing across the room. Looking towards the large doors and past all of the family's here to celebrate, my eyes settled onto Theseus who had been apprehended by the entrance. He was talking to one of the members of staff, smiling slightly as he nodded along with whatever the Professor had said to him. By his side, Bea was standing with her arm wrapped through his. Beatrice, for all of her needs for comfort, never had been the sort of person to reach out towards someone like Theseus. She normally had issued being affectionate with anyone that was not a member of our family and seeing her so relaxed with Thee, took me by surprise.

Feeling my gaze on her, Beatrice looked across the room until she met my eyes. Instantly she drew her arm out of Theseus's and when he looked questioningly towards her, she just pointed in my direction. Theseus ushered her away and within moments, Bea was crossing the room with quick steps and looking far lighter as he came to a stop beside me. Grief had aged her but today, for the first time in a while, she looked so very _young_ and carefree. It suited her.

"You're in a good mood," I noted, reaching out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.

"Theseus says that we will be going home today," she confessed with a grateful smile and I did my very best not to let my smile falter. If there was one thing I had noticed about Bea, it was that she missed home because home was where the memories of our parents were. She knew that we _couldn't_ return home, it had been practically destroyed, but just the idea of having a home was something she welcomed with open arms.

"We are," I agreed.

"Does that mean Thee is my brother now?" Lucille piped up, coming from behind me to embrace a reluctant Bea.

I paused for a moment, staring down at my ring as I murmured, "I suppose he is."

Lifting my eyes in time to spy Theseus's approaching figure, I gave him a welcoming smile when he returned with one of his own. He raised his wand, a bouquet of flowers sprouting from the end of it. Taking the extended bouquet, my smile grew much more genuine as I raised the flowers to my nose and ignored the jeers coming from my friends. Theseus took the teasing in stride as he closed the space between us and brought a hand to my waist. I shifted a little at the contact and my dormmates took that as a hint to leave us alone now. Waving at them with a smile, I turned expectantly towards my husband.

"Is there anyone else you want to talk to?" he asked, reaching out to rub a hand over Lucille's hair when she clung to his side.

"Truthfully," I began, remembering the number of well-meaning wishes I'd received from not just my schoolmates but also from my professors, "I just want to go."

"That might be for the best," he confided, taking Lucille's hand as Bea came to my side. Together, the four of us began to slowly slip out of the room, "I think I've lost count of the number of professors who have offered me advice on how to handle my young wife."

It was impossible to stop myself from scowling. Theseus laughed but said nothing else before he was leading us out of the castle and apparating us away.

A small part of me expected to find myself standing in the entryway of the flat he had bought after moving out of his parent's home. But I didn't. Instead, I found myself standing in a large field of grass that was overlooked by a cottage with a pebbled path that led directly from the front door to the apparition point. I looked towards Theseus for some sort of explanation, but he just ushered Lucille inside. Lucille took Bea's hand and set off in a run, promising to show her to her room.

"I thought a house might be better for our family." Our family. The words were just a small indication that he did consider my sisters as members of his family and not just as burdens he'd been lumped with. They were enough to have me reaching out for his hand.

He looked down at my hand in his, smiling to himself for a moment, before entwining our fingers and leading me inside. Reaching the threshold, I gasped in surprise when he swung me into his arms. I scrambled for stability, looping my arms over his shoulders.

"It wards off bad luck," he explained as he carried me over the threshold but made no move to set me down as he walked through the house.

My eyes roved across the entryway, over what I could see of the front room before Thee took to the stairs and reached the second floor. The hallway he carried me through was sparse, barely decorated except for a picture from my childhood. It wasn't much but it was the beginning of our home. He only released me when we reached a bedroom and I found myself drawing away from him, eyes settling apprehensively onto the large bed in the middle of the room.

Clearing my throat, a little nervously, I left him behind as I headed straight for the bed with a large box settled in the middle of it. Lifting the lid and setting it aside, I glanced curiously into the box only to have my breath stolen from me in the very next moment. With a gentle hand, I began to slowly leaf through the contents of the box, not realising that he had crept up behind me.

"I know it's not much," he began quietly, completely misinterpreting my silence, "but it was all we managed to save from your parent's home."

"It's perfect," I assured him gently, straightening up and turning towards him.

He watched me closely as if he thought that I was being kind, simply because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But Merlin, how could that even be possible? Although the box might have been small, it was still the remnants of my childhood; it was everything and more. The family photo album was included in it, some of mother's jewellery and books were there, father's cloak and his work book were there. It was enough.

Once again, I found myself without enough words to thank him. Silently, I wrapped my arms around him and he returned the embrace within an instant, holding me close to him. Theseus dropped his chin to the top of my head before I drew away far enough to look into my eyes.

"I have no idea how to thank you," I confessed.

"You don't need to."

To some – to many, the man wrapped in my arms, was a fearsome Auror, a war hero who could pry your secrets from you and could outwit entire armies of dark wizards. But I saw right through him. Although I had no idea when it began, but the warmth in his eyes had been there for as long as I could remember and its meaning was not lost on me.

"I want to," I said quietly.

He shrugged and with a reluctant smile, he pulled his arms back to his side. "You should probably settle in; your bags are in the corner. If you need anything from me, my room is down the hall."

* * *

Within weeks of arriving at Theseus's house, I had set about making it into a home with quite a lot of success. Theseus, for his part, just watched all the changes I made with an indulgent smile and occasionally offered to help if the changes required two wands instead of one. That was only when he wasn't called away at the very last moment to hunt down another dark wizard.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, I had grown into the habit of listening out for Theseus scrambling out of his bed in the middle of the night after receiving a summoning. On those nights, I found myself walking downstairs and to the front room in time to see Theseus running to the edge of the property so he could apparate away. No matter how hard I tried, sleep would evade me and instead I would continue to watch and wait for his reappearance, gnawing at my bottom lip until it became raw to touch. And so, when morning arrived and Theseus returned, he had no idea how overwhelming the relief I felt was. I certainly never told him it, either.

Once the house had been made up and everything had been sorted out, Theseus's family popped around at the very first opportunity. His mother had been insistent on wanting to check that we were coping well and Theseus had the hindsight of locking his bedroom door lest his mother find out about our separate bedrooms. She didn't really seem the type to understand it.

And so, as she stayed by my side in the kitchen to help me, I found myself avoiding some of the more probing questions she tried to ask me. Although I understood her concern for her eldest son, I struggled not to remind her that our marriage was not a normal one. It was a consequence of the situation that I found myself in. Was I eternally grateful to Theseus? Yes. But was I carrying out my _wifely duties_ towards him? No, not right now.

"Mother," Newt, my saviour, called out from the doorway and effectively stopping his mother from offering to watch my sisters so Theseus and I could go on a honeymoon.

Mrs Scamander turned curiously towards her son. "What is it?"

"Father is calling you." Newt stepped into the room to allow his mother to pass.

He waited until she had left the room before leaning against the counter besides the kitchen sink where I was washing up some dishes. The sound of laughter filtered in through the open window and I found myself looking up with a fond smile. Theseus stood with my sisters under the summer sun, playing in the grass and tossing Lucille in the air only to catch her again. Lucille, overjoyed, began to tease Beatrice about being too heavy for Theseus to lift and just like that, my husband was back to playing the peacekeeper, once again. I could not have smothered my fond smile if I tried.

Newt called my name gently, stopping me from watching any further as I looked to him with a raised eyebrow. He averted his eyes for a short moment as he admitted quietly, "My brother loves you."

"I know," I said truthfully, my gaze flickering back towards Theseus who had started to usher my sisters in when his mother told him that lunch was almost ready.

"And do you love him?"

I found myself hesitating, drying my hands on a towel as I moved around the kitchen. Thinking carefully, I spoke slowly, "He is someone that I am grateful too. Someone I will need to spend the rest of my life repaying."

Newt saw right through my words, sighing as if he wanted to say something. He was only stopped by Theseus's entrance into the room. The two Scamander brothers shared a glance before Newt was walking out of the room. Approaching me, Theseus gave me a silently questioningly look and I simply shrugged.

"The girls are probably getting hungry," I said abruptly, turning away from him as I wondered whether he had heard Newt's words. "Everything is just about done and –"

His hand came up to massage the tension away at the base of my neck and I cut myself off, biting my bottom lip. Coming up behind me, Theseus made a contemplative sound as I let myself lean against his chest for a moment.

"I'm sorry," he said after a long moment and dropping his hand from my neck. Both of his hands came around me to grasp the counter on either side of my waist. He was boxing me in, but I had no complaints. Over the last few days I had found myself reaching out for him, as if to remind myself that he was here, and that he was present and nothing and no one was going to be stealing him away from me.

"Whatever for?"

"My mother was probably interrogating you."

"At least I know which parent you inherited your nosiness from," I teased, glancing over my shoulder at him in time to see him roll his eyes. Theseus lowered his head, dropping his chin onto my shoulder to watch as I chopped some cucumber for the salad.

"What was my brother saying about me?"

"How did you –"

"If he wasn't talking about me then he wouldn't have left so suddenly." When I faltered, he prompted gently, "So?"

"He told me that you love me."

Silence followed my admission. It lengthened until Theseus reached out to pry the knife from my hand and set it aside. Grasping me by the shoulders, he turned me to face him but I couldn't quite meet his eyes.

Not even when he spoke reverently, "I do."

The unasked ' _what about you?_ ' was left hanging in the air and I found myself struggling to breath under the combined weight of his stare and the implications of what he was asking me. For a moment I thought about ducking out of his arms, knowing that he would let me, but the question would remain between us until I did _something_ about it. Forcing myself to raise my eyes to his, I smiled weakly and rose up to press a kiss just beneath his jaw. It was all I could reach and it would have to do for now.

* * *

Our mornings always started early; mainly because Lucille for some unknown reason always, _always_ woke up at the crack of dawn. As soon as she was up and ready to go, she ran through the entire house, waking everyone up for the day. But she always went to Beatrice's room last and usually with Theseus there to act as a shield to protect her from Bea's inevitable outburst from being woken up so early for no reason whatsoever. And because I was usually the first person she woke up, I dressed for the day before going downstairs to start breakfast as I left Theseus to deal with my sisters. And eventually, after he had managed to calm them both down, they were sitting together side by side at the breakfast table.

Theseus was just pouring himself a cup of tea when an owl appeared suddenly, tapping its beak against the window. Setting the tea pot down, Theseus was on his feet and crossing the room towards the owl which, once it stepped into the room, I recognised it as one of the ministry owls. Merlin, my stomach had never swooped so suddenly at the sight of such a small creature. Those owls, those horrible owls, were always sent to him from the Auror Department whenever they needed to update him about some dark wizard or other. As my sisters continued to talk between themselves, probably fighting, I could not concentrate on them. No, I found my gaze lingering on my husband who, as soon as he started to read the letter, clenched his jaw. There was trouble.

Rising slowly to my feet, I left my sisters to their bickering and made my way towards him. I put a hand on his arm to alert him of my presence but nothing prepared me for the way he looked at me. His eyes were wide, not fear blown but worried for _us_. Theseus was not scared for himself – no he almost looked forward to these missions – but he was worried that during his time away from us, that the progress between us would completely disappear, that the place he had forged in our family would no longer be there when he returned. He held the letter out towards me but I simply shook my head.

"You need to go?" I asked hesitantly, praying on hope upon hope that he would tell me otherwise. He nodded and although I didn't think it was possible, my heart sunk even further.

Without meaning to, I took a small step away from him and fiddled with my ring; how would I cope with this? Of course, there was no way that I could have stopped it, I would never ask him to stay here with us, but how could I bring myself to just watch him leave? It was natural, his mother had insisted, that I anxiously waited for his return each time he left, that I was still recovering from the loss I had experienced not so long ago.

"What is it?" he asked, reaching out to clutch my hand, stopping me from moving much further away from him.

"I don't want you to go," I admitted, barely a whisper as I raised my eyes to his. "Except, I know you have to."

Thee nodded slowly, reluctantly admitting, "I need to you."

"You do," I agreed, creeping closer towards him. "You have given up so much for my sake, and I know that it would make me the most ungrateful witch in Britain to ask you for anything more."

"But you know I would give it to you anyway." He peered down into my eyes as he waited for my answering nod. "So?"

Theseus held my eyes for a long moment and I continued to hold his gaze, wondering if I could ask him for something else. Merlin, the silence between us lingered and grew and I could only wonder, from the way his brows pulled together, what it was he believed me to be after.

"Just come back home safely?" I asked eventually. The question was spoken so silently that it was a wonder that he had even managed to hear it.

His features even out, the tension easing from between his brows and then, he was watching me gravely. Far more seriously than he had from the very beginning of all of this mess.

"You want me to return home to you?" he asked lowly, as if to double check.

I nodded and without any conscious intention, I found myself leaning into him. "I do not think I'd be able to cope if I lose someone else. Especially if – if that person is you."

He responded to the admission as I thought he would have; equal parts awe and disbelief. But that did not stop him from reaching out towards me to draw me closer against him. He leaned down then to bridge the gap between us and I found myself responding to him, tilting my head upwards.

" _BEATRICE_!"

We drew away instantly at the sound of Lucille's shriek, turning sharply towards the table where Beatrice was terrorising Lucille. My youngest sister appeared on the verge of tears as she batted Bea's hands away from her.

"Beatrice!" Theseus and I admonished at the same time. And started by the synchronicity, we shared a single glance, flushed and rushed towards the table to sort out the squabbling children.

The letter told Theseus that he needed to ship out the very next day. I was so busy on making sure that his last day was as enjoyable as it could be, that neither of us commented on what had almost happened between us. My sisters were aware that something was going on, they had to be but they said nothing. Instead, they basked in the increased attention Theseus was showering on them. I couldn't stop but wonder if he was doing that in case he would up not seeing them for a while. Or at all.

And, no matter how much I willed the day to pass slowly, it did not. Instead, it seemed to race ahead until evening arrived and I was stood in the doorway of Lucille's bedroom, watching as Thee tucked her in for the night. With a yawn, Lucille settled down as her brother-in-law reached over to press an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

Even as my throat tightened, I turned away from the room and headed towards Bea's. Theseus followed a short distance behind me and said his goodnights to Beatrice too. We had both decided that, for now, it would be best if I told the pair of them tomorrow, _after_ Theseus had left. If we told them before he went off for his mission, they would wind up unnecessarily upset.

With my sisters tucked in for the night, we found ourselves alone and I retreated to my room. Changing into my nightdress and releasing my hair from its confines, I wrapped my nightgown around me and tied it around the middle. Leaving my bedroom with slow steps, I crossed the hallway towards Theseus's room.

Raising a hesitant fist towards the closed door, I knocked twice and waited. Thee opened the door, looking down at me in surprise. In all the weeks since I had arrived home, I had never once knocked on his door. He blinked twice, stepping away and inviting me into the room. Belatedly, as I looked over my husband, I realised that he had stripped out of the outer layer of his robes.

"Am I disturbing you?" I asked hesitantly and he shook his head, gesturing for me to sit.

Waving his wand at his pyjamas, Theseus walked behind the screen in the corner of the room and they floated after him. When he emerged a short while later, he was dressed and found me sitting on the edge of his bed.

"What time are you going?" I asked, unable to look at him when he sat down on the other side of the bed, just watching me.

"By the time you are awake, I will be gone." Nodding slowly, I twisted my wedding ring around my finger.

Theseus reached out to catch my hand, halting my fidgeting. Looking hesitantly up at him, I held his gaze as he asked quietly, "What are you really doing here?"

"I don't want you to be alone tonight," I tried. But he simply continued to hold my gaze, not quite believing me. Worrying my bottom lip, I amended, "I want to be with you tonight."

He breathed out sharply, drawing away from me. For a moment, I thought he would tell me to leave but then he rose to his knees, turning towards me as he warned, "If you will regret this tomorrow morning, you should leave now."

"I won't," I promised.

* * *

True to his word, by the time I woke up the next morning, I was alone in his bed. After last night, his absence was so much more profound that I spent a good moment simply staring up at the ceiling and wrapping the blanket tight around myself. When I did manage to force myself out of bed, I dressed slowly and just before leaving his room, I searched the room again as if expecting him to emerge from some corner of the room. But of course, he didn't. Although, my eyes _did_ settle on a letter that was folded on top of his pillow.

Reaching out quickly for the letter, I unfolded it and let my eyes rake over the cursive of his handwriting. The note was short, but heartfelt as he spoke of his regret that he had to leave, how he didn't want to leave, not after what we had shared. But he had a duty that he needed to fulfil. And, as was protocol, nothing in the letter spoke of where he was headed or what he was doing. Though I knew it was a way of protecting our family, it simply drove me _insane._

The days passed slowly in his absence with each consecutive day melting into the next until I had lost track of just how long it had been since he had left. My sisters, though they tried not to show it, were feeling his absence just as much as I was. And though, none of us commented on it, there were some moments where we would gather around the front room window, eyes focused on the edge of the property where the apparition point was.

In an effort to feel closer to Theseus, to stop myself from missing him so much, I had taken to sleeping in his room. And slowly, one by one, my sisters would crawl into the bed on either side of me after having woken up in the middle of the night. Tonight, was no different. Lucille and Beatrice curled up on my sides, holding hands over my stomach. Every night Lucille would, without fail, question me about where Theseus was and when he would return. But, as I had no answer for her, I simply lulled her back to sleep with another story.

Beatrice was quiet until she was certain that Lucille was asleep. Only then did she speak, her voice nothing more than a whisper in the silence of the room. The sound of her voice was so surprising, considering I had thought she was asleep, that I looked to her in surprise. She had her eyes closed but spoke regardless.

"Theseus is a good man, isn't he?"

"Of course, he is," I agreed instantly.

"A good husband?"

"That too."

Beatrice opened her eyes then, raising her heavy-lidded gaze to my own. "You're a good sister too."

"Well," I couldn't help but tease, "you must be ill to be saying something like that."

But she was in no mood to tolerate my teasing and instead spoke seriously, "Theseus is a good man, a good husband so why don't you love him?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard him talking about it," she admitted hesitantly. "He was talking to Newt about how he knows you don't love him." The surprise must have played blatantly over my features as she hurried on to add, "But he said he was alright with that, because you're his wife now."

"Well he was wrong," I said firmly. "I _do_ love him. Merlin, I have no idea when it began, but I do love him."

"I'm glad," Beatrice said after a while, closing her eyes as she returned to my side. Throwing an arm over me, she snuggled into my side and mumbled against my shoulder, "If anyone deserves to be loved by him, it's you."

Her uncharacteristic words rendered me silent as I looked at her, with a sudden lump in my throat. Swallowing dryly, I brought my free hand up to brush the hair away from her forehead.

"That's enough talking for now," I said gently. "If you don't fall asleep soon, then you'll be cranky when Lucille decides to wake you up in the morning."

Merlin, I missed him.

* * *

It was weeks, almost a month later when Theseus made his return home. Lucille, who had been playing on her own outside, was the first to see him when he appeared at the apparition point and she let out a scream that was so loud I managed to hear it on the other side of the house. Fearing that something was wrong, I ran towards the front door with my wand clutched at my side.

By the time I reached the front door, the blood was pumping erratically through my veins as a series of disastrous situations ran one after the other through my head. But the moment I looked outside, the fight fled me completely as pure unadulterated relief flooded through me. Not just because Lucille was safe but because she was running into the open arms of Theseus who – _Helga,_ he was safe and unharmed.

"What is it?" Beatrice asked suddenly at my side, clearly scared.

The terror fled her features the moment her eyes settled on Thee who was busy throwing Lucille in the air only to catch her safely in his arms again. Just like that, Beatrice was edging around me to rush to his side. I watched, face blank, as Theseus opened his arms to hug her when Bea became suddenly more self-conscious. The gesture only brought more affection to Theseus's face as he drew her into his arms with a relieved laugh.

When he finally pulled away from her, he allowed my sisters to lead him by the arm towards the house, still laughing. His laughter stifled slightly when he finally noticed me standing in the doorway. His eyes lingered greedily on my features as if drinking them in, his smile gentling.

Dropping my sister's hands, Theseus crossed the last space between us and I fully expected him to take me in his arms and perhaps I would have let him if I had been given some more time to adjust to his sudden appearance. Just minutes ago, I had been worrying about never seeing him again, about having to plan _his_ funeral only for him to reappear as if he had never left.

"Head upstairs," I said, stepping aside and dodging his arms. His features clouded over, becoming guarded as I looked away from him. "You should go and freshen up while I make you something to eat."

"You're right," he said finally knowing me well enough to detect something in my tone. Looking away from me, he brushed past me and headed inside.

Only when Theseus had disappeared up the stairs, did Beatrice turn her unimpressed eyes onto me. Her disapproval was obvious but I said nothing as I turned away from her to follow after Theseus. Passing the bathroom, I heard the sound of the shower through the closed door and took the chance to begin cleaning his room to shift my things back to my own room. During his absence, a rather large number of my things had somehow managed to accumulate in his room.

"You don't need to move your things," Theseus said suddenly from behind me now dressed casually as I walked around, gathering my things in one large pile. I turned to face him, arms laden with my belongings as he drew closer to me. "Really. You don't need to."

"This is your room," I protested uselessly, not quite able to look at him as he slowly took my things and deposited them on his bed.

"It doesn't have to be _just_ mine," he proposed, tossing the last of my things aside. As my silence lengthened, he reached out for both of my hands and held them soundly between his own. "Something is the matter. What is it?"

"Theseus I –"

"Do you regret –"

" _No_ ," I cut in quickly with a shake of my head. Looking at him from beneath my eyelashes, I insisted, "I really don't."

"Then what is it?" he asked quietly, doing nothing when I pulled my hands out of his.

He called my name quietly when I reached out to grasp his shirt on either side of his waist. Falling silent, he continued to watch me as I drew closer to him. Just being able to reach out and touch him like this, to have the proof that he was _right there_ for me to embrace, was enough to bring all of the utter isolation I'd felt since his departure to the surface. With him gone, I'd had no one I could turn to.

"I was so _worried_ about you," I managed to say through a broken whimper. He reacted instantly to the sound, bringing his hands to my face to tilt it up towards him. I searched his tortured eyes as they stared down into my own. "I thought you were going to die, Thee, that you were going to leave me too."

"That will _never_ happen," he swore solemnly, "I promise you."

And then he was leaning down to kiss me and I rose onto my toes to close the space between us. Framing his jaw with my hand, I drew back reluctantly and when Theseus pressed his forehead to my own, I licked my lips. He needed to know, I couldn't let him keep his misunderstanding for long –

"I love you, Theseus," I said suddenly and he jolted, as if he had been electrocuted by the words.

He didn't draw too far away from me, just far enough that he could hold my gaze as if to check my sincerity. And then, then he was grinning so handsomely that I found myself staring up at him as if he alone was responsible for the beauty of the sun.

"Merlin, I love you," he breathed out, leaning down to press another kiss to my lips. It lengthened, deepening until we were forced to draw away at the sound of Beatrice screaming at Lucille. Theseus chuckled under his breath, pressing a final kiss to my forehead as he said reluctantly, "We should go and make sure that they do not end up killing one another."


	2. Epilogue: 5 Years Later

_5 YEARS LATER_

Beatrice was in love.

Theseus had been horrified to discover that not only was Beatrice beginning to _think_ of men in that way, but that she was certain that she was _in love_. Not just in love but considering a future with this so-called wizard. At first, Theseus had refused to acknowledge it and completely ignored any mention of Beatrice's wizard. But that soon faded until he was completely openly against it.

It made the atmosphere at home, a little tenser but not by much. Bea was not going to allow herself to be cowed and was steamrolling all over Theseus's attempts to make her change her mind.

"He is _not_ allowed to step foot in this house," Theseus warned as he looked across the breakfast table towards Beatrice.

Beatrice rolled her eyes as she cut through her toast. Theseus made a sound of disapproval and I found myself casting an amused glance between the pair of them before sharing a look with Lucille who was quickly growing sick of this argument. "And why not?"

"You are only 16," Theseus protested, looking to me for support. I simply shrugged and averted my eyes, deciding to be the neutral party. It was strange; usually _Theseus_ was the neutral party and I was the person disciplining my sisters. "You are far too young to be dating, let alone to be considering a future with this brat."

"You don't even know him!"

"I don't need to know him!" he shot back, before picking up his tea cup as if he thought the conversation was dismissed. But of course, Beatrice had no intention of allowing things to finish so quickly and especially, not in her favour.

"You of all people cannot use age as an excuse, Theseus!" Beatrice gestured over the table towards me, "I mean, you married my sister when she was 17. Barely a year older than I am now!"

"I actually turned 18 weeks after we married," I piped up only to fall silent when Bea looked at me with obvious betrayal in her eyes.

Beatrice was never happy when I spoke up just a little in favour of Theseus's opinion. But really, how was I supposed to get her to understand that he _did_ have a point? She was far too young to be considering this, to be contemplating marriage. Merlin, she was not even in her last year of Hogwarts. No matter how I thought about it, she was too young. And it wasn't as if she could use my example as a reason for us to consent to this foolish idea. Our situations were miles apart. Perhaps I would not have married so young if I had any other choice. Not that I regretted that decision now.

"Regardless Beatrice, _I_ was 21 when I married your sister," Theseus dismissed with a scoff. "I had a job – a good job, I owned an apartment – a house as well. I was well prepared to get married."

"You're speaking as if Charles has no plans," she protested looking to me again for support and this time, I was forced to intercede.

"He has plans," I said with polite curiosity. When Theseus begun to grumble under his breath, I swatted his hands as I leaned forward in my chair. "What is he planning to do after Hogwarts?"

"Well," she said with a smile, pleased that things were beginning to look up, "Charles is an artist."

"Oh, dear Godric," Theseus scoffed, cutting her off before she could say something else. "He is an _artist_ meaning you will have to spend the rest of your life supporting him or scraping by. He wants to get married so young and yet is willing to be so _immature_ and _irresponsible_ so why –"

He cut himself off with a hiss when I reached out to roughly pinch his side. When he glanced towards me, Theseus met my disapproving gaze and smiled apologetically, knowing how testy our son got whenever _I_ got annoyed. And I was becoming very annoyed Reaching out to rub a soothing hand over my bump as if to calm his child, he shook his head when I silently gestured for him to apologise.

Well, this certainly couldn't keep going on for much longer. If we continued to put up this front against Beatrice and her wizard, I didn't doubt that she would do something drastic and elope. If we continued to express interest as well as giving her some sort of reality check every now and then, we would be fine. Even if she wound up marrying Charles, perhaps we had enough time to delay things for a few years and until they both had a realistic plan for the future.

"Bea," I called out and making her stop her glaring at Theseus. "Why don't you invite Charles around for dinner next weekend?"

"Really?" she asked doubtfully and when I nodded, silently daring Thee to disagree she let out an excited screech.

Pushing roughly away from the table, she ran up to her room to no doubt write to Charles. Theseus watched as she retreated from the room before turning his eyes towards me.

"We almost had her convinced."

"We _really_ didn't," I insisted with a shake of my head.

"You didn't," Lucille piped up suddenly, taking a bite of her toast.

She looked to her brother-in-law who was no doubt already thinking of ways that he would intimidate Charles when he got here. When you were a renowned Auror – a war hero at that, people were very easily intimidated by you. And when you were hoping to intimidate a school boy at that, well it really was just too easy.

"At least you have me," Lucille said with a shrug, trying to appease Theseus who, at her words, squeezed her hand.

"I think I may truly go insane if you talk about bringing boys home too," he confessed and I hid my smile behind my tea cup.

"You've got another 10 years," Lucille agreed, just to see the way Theseus reacted.

He didn't disappoint. Sighing to himself, Theseus pressed his forehead to my shoulder as he grumbled about why my sisters could not remain as children for much longer. Merlin, I could already imagine having to go through all of this all over again with Lucille who was, overwhelmingly, Theseus's favourite sister-in-law.

"You have 10 years to prepare yourself," I suggested which didn't help. If anything, it had Theseus whimpering a little.


End file.
